50 Years On: Dive into Misogynistic Words in Japan's "Kojien" Dictionary
By Naoki Imai
Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Perhaps one of the most iconic Japanese dictionaries, "Kojien" with its vast collection of some 250,000 words and phrases still include language that may be perceived as misogynistic.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8, an official at the dictionary's publisher, Iwanami Shoten, explained, "You could become complicit in discrimination if you do not know the background of discriminatory words and phrases."
"When encountering words that can hurt others, take a moment to consider the background and the reason why such words were born and took root in society," the official added.
First published in 1955, Kojien, a cross between a Japanese-language dictionary and an encyclopedia, is on its seventh edition, released in 2018.
(2025/02/27-16:01)
To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.
NATIONAL
-
03/10 10:25 Japan Govt Starts Receiving Bids for Stockpiled Rice - 03/10 08:54 Japan Real Wages Log 1st Drop in 3 Months in Jan.
-
03/09 22:17 (Update) Massive Iwate Wildfire Contained on 12th Day - 03/09 19:55 Britain, Fujitsu to Begin Compensation Talks over Post Office Scandal
- 03/09 17:54 Massive Iwate Wildfire Contained after 11 Days
- 03/09 16:17 14 Years On: Municipalities Ending Storage of Collected Personal Items
- 03/09 15:39 (Update) Ishiba Vows All-Out Election Fight at LDP Convention
- 03/09 12:58 Ishiba Vows All-Out Election Fight at LDP Convention
- 03/09 10:30 CDP Leadership Faces Growing Internal Frustration
- 03/08 22:27 Italian President Lays Flowers at Hiroshima Peace Park
- 03/08 19:18 Ishiba Braces for "Extremely Tough" Election Battles
- 03/08 17:50 (Update) 3 Centimeters of Snow Forecast for Central Tokyo
- 03/08 17:31 Nagasaki Town Mayor Arrested in Bid-Rigging Case
- 03/08 16:57 Woman Sentenced to 23 Years over Asahikawa Girl's Murder
- 03/08 16:27 Participants Reject Nuke Threats at Nuke Ban Treaty Meeting
- 03/08 14:58 Majority in Japan Expect Stronger Economic Ties under Trump
- 03/08 14:16 5 Centimeters of Snow Forecast for Central Tokyo
- 03/08 13:35 Tokyo Metro Marks 25th Year since Deadly Derailment
- 03/08 13:03 DPFP May Accept Blanket Hike in Tax-Free Income to 1.5 M. Yen
- 03/07 23:09 (Update) Ishiba Cancels Increase in Medical Expense Cap in August
- 03/07 22:33 Japan, Britain Affirm Importance of Free Trade
- 03/07 21:52 Japan, Britain Vow to Work Together for Ukraine Peace
- 03/07 19:00 Japan Has Duty to Provide Military Bases for U.S.: Ishiba
- 03/07 18:25 All High Courts Back Japan 2024 Lower House Election
- 03/07 17:01 Japan Govt Mulls Forgoing Plan to Hike Medical Expense Cap in Aug.
- 03/07 16:36 4th Japan High Court Finds Same-Sex Marriage Denial Unconstitutional
- 03/07 15:03 Japan PM Eager to Form Security Framework with Australia, N.Z.
- 03/07 14:05 Japan Govt OKs Bill to Create Database of Civil Court Rulings
- 03/07 13:55 Japan Govt Adopts Bill to Boost Crackdown on Malicious Host Clubs
- 03/07 13:13 Japan Fully Confident of U.S. Protection: Govt Spokesman
- 03/07 13:11 Japan Govt OKs Science Council Reform Bill
- 03/07 12:21 Japan's Share of Female Lawmakers Lowest among G-7 Members
- 03/07 10:00 Trump Unhappy about Japan-U.S. Security Treaty
- 03/07 09:12 IMF Advises BOJ to Raise Interest Rates Gradually
- 03/06 23:52 Japan Industry Minister to Visit U.S. from Sun.
- 03/06 22:24 Explosion Kills Worker at Toyota Affiliate's Plant in Aichi
- 03/06 21:38 JFA Chief Disappointed by 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup Snub
- 03/06 21:06 Kawasaki Man Arrested for Alleged Murder in 2003
- 03/06 20:38 Retrial Ruling Set for July 18 over 1986 Murder in Fukui
- 03/06 20:15 CDP May Field Renho in Upper House Election
- 03/06 19:33 "Shunto" Pay Hike Demands Top 6 Pct for 1st Time in 32 Years
- 03/06 19:12 14 Years On: Ex-TEPCO Plant Worker Protecting Pets Left Behind
- 03/06 19:12 Japan Strives to Keep U.S. Engaged with Ukraine War: Ishiba
- 03/06 17:51 Japan Actress Mana Ashida Named UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
- 03/06 17:45 (Update 2) Key 10-Yr JGB Yield Hits 16-Year High above 1.5 Pct
- 03/06 16:57 Tohoku Shinkansen Trains Decoupled during Service Again
- 03/06 16:34 Acquittal of 2 Ex-TEPCO Execs to Be Finalized
- 03/06 15:21 Japan to Give Aid to Iwate Fire Victims with Damaged Homes
- 03/06 13:36 Women in Japan Calling for Clothes with Pockets
- 03/06 13:33 Share of Female Execs Tops 30 Pct at Sports Federations in Japan
- 03/06 12:06 Taiwan to Fully Lift Ban on Beef Imports from Japan
- 03/06 11:00 14 Years On: Prefectural Govts Passing on Lessons to New Hires
- 03/06 10:44 Trash Cans Installed in Nara Park for 1st Time in 40 Years
- 03/06 10:32 Many Small Firms Eye Closures after Minimum Wage Hike: Survey
- 03/06 10:30 80 Years On: Tokyo Air Raid Artifacts Promoting Peace
- 03/06 09:30 Japanese Students Call for Nuke Abolition in New York
- 03/05 23:55 Ishiba, Italy's President Reaffirm Support for Ukraine
- 03/05 21:18 Former Abductee Urges Japan to Work with U.S. to Press N. Korea
- 03/05 20:45 (Update) Forest Fire Burns 9 Pct of Ofunato in Northeastern Japan
- 03/05 20:40 Ishiba Vows to Work Closely with U.S. over Forex
- 03/05 20:17 Japan Oct.-Dec. Growth Seen Unchanged at 0.7 Pct
- 03/05 19:50 Not Every BOJ Meeting Will See Rate Hike: Deputy Gov.
- 03/05 19:38 (Update) Hyogo Assembly Adopts Report over Whistleblower
- 03/05 19:07 Trump Says Honda Will Build New Plant in U.S.
- 03/05 18:25 Hiroshima Court Rejects Request for Ikata Reactor Injunction
- 03/05 18:22 14 Years On: Reconstruction Min. Vows to Address Fukushima Soil Reuse
- 03/05 17:55 Jiji Press, Yomiuri Journalists Selected for Vaughn-Uyeda Prize
- 03/05 15:29 Forest Fire Burns 9 Pct of Ofunato in Northeastern Japan
- 03/05 15:15 Trump Tariffs Seen Impacting Global Economy: BOJ Uchida
- 03/05 14:55 GDP Ratio of Defense Costs Not Priority: Japan's Hayashi
- 03/05 14:21 Japan May Designate Iwate Wildfire as Severe Disaster: Ishiba
- 03/05 14:08 Hyogo Assembly Adopts Report over Whistleblower against Governor
- 03/05 12:24 50 Years On: Female MSDF Vice Adm. Who Broke thru Glass Ceiling
- 03/05 10:40 Japan Lawmaker Addresses Nuke Ban Treaty Meeting for 1st Time
- 03/05 09:31 Pentagon Policy Nominee Urges Japan to Hike Defense Spending
- 03/05 01:07 (Update) Japan Govt to Release Controversial Moritomo Documents
- 03/05 00:14 Iwate Wildfire Enters 2nd Week
- 03/04 23:59 Japan Industry Minister to Visit U.S. over Tariffs
- 03/04 21:44 DPFP Targets 16 Seats in Upper House Election
- 03/04 21:36 Japanese Princess Kako to Visit Brazil in June
- 03/04 21:20 Japan Emperor, Empress Host Italian President
- 03/04 21:02 Panel Finds Hyogo Pref.'s Identification of Whistleblower Likely Illegal
- 03/04 21:02 Japan Needs Better Environment for Female SDF Members
- 03/04 20:32 Japan Adopts Bill to Punish Revenge against Whistleblowers
- 03/04 19:53 Top Court Finalizes Fine on Unification Church Leader in Japan
- 03/04 19:26 (Update) Japan Lower House Passes Modified FY 2025 Budget Bill
- 03/04 19:24 Japanese Writer Ayako Sono Dies at 93
- 03/04 17:35 Japan to Again Propose "Shodo" Calligraphy for UNESCO Heritage List
- 03/04 16:53 Japan Lower House Passes Modified FY 2025 Budget Bill
- 03/04 16:47 Japan Govt to Release Controversial Moritomo Documents
- 03/04 15:07 Osaka Expo Ring Roof Judged World's Largest Wooden Structure
- 03/04 14:29 Hidankyo Exec Slams Nukes As "Devil's Weapons" at Signatory Meeting
- 03/04 13:23 Japan's Job Openings Ratio Up for 1st Time in 4 Months
- 03/04 12:41 Japan FY 2025 Modified Budget Bill Clears Lower House Committee
- 03/04 12:41 Japan Finance Minister Denies Guiding Yen Lower
- 03/04 11:09 Trump Claims Japan, China Guiding Their Currencies Lower
- 03/04 11:00 14 Years On: Diamond Chips Key to Fukushima Plant Decommissioning
- 03/04 10:30 Female Assembly Members with Kids Seeing Better Work Conditions
- 03/04 09:52 ICJ Judge Iwasawa from Japan Elected as Pres.
- 03/04 08:55 Russia Adds Japan's Foreign Min., 8 Others to Entry Ban List
- 03/03 22:05 Japan Lower House to Pass FY 2025 Budget Bill on Tues.
- 03/03 21:37 Prince Hisahito Vows to Fulfill Role at 1st Press Conference
- 03/03 20:54 Snow May Hit Tokyo, Surrounding Areas from Tues. Afternoon
- 03/03 19:57 Japan Top Court Finds Dwango Patent Infringed by FC2
- 03/03 19:24 Tamaki to Return as DPFP Head after Suspension over Affair
- 03/03 18:00 Documentary of Agent Orange Victim Released in Vietnam
- 03/03 16:16 Japan PM Stands on No One's Side in U.S.-Ukraine Row
- 03/03 16:13 Gender Equality in Politics Still Elusive in Japan
- 03/03 14:40 3 Japanese-Directed Films Miss Out on Oscars
- 03/03 14:14 Japan Govt to Auction Stockpiled Rice on March 10
- 03/03 13:25 Fisherwomen Shining in Male-Dominant Industry in Japan
- 03/03 13:01 Japan Unlikely to Attend Future Nuke Ban Meetings: Hayashi
- 02/27 16:01 50 Years On: Dive into Misogynistic Words in Japan's "Kojien" Dictionary
